156 



THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 



choice. Exceptionally, however, the birds may collect, where the 

 fish are naturally or by the action of the fishermen confined in 

 a small area, and then do very complete damage. Thus 

 Mr. E. J. Paton, Inspector of Fisheries at Port Stephens, writes 

 of a raid made by the Cormorants in Smith's Lake, a small lake 

 to the north of the Myall Lakes of the district: — "I found 

 great numbers of Cormorants on the lake, chiefly the big black 

 shag, and, although I have studied the habits of this pest for 

 many years, their method of working in Smith's Lake was new 

 to me. They work in flocks of from a hundred up to thousands. 





tAM, 



^:h^ 



storehouse Island, Bass Strait. A. J, Gampljell. 



White-breasted Cormorant: PhaJacrocorax gouldi. 



I observed one flock numbering approximately 2,000 working a 

 school of small fish from the weedy bottom of the lake into 

 shallow clear water by united and simultaneous action. The 

 birds closely packed dived together until the water for many 

 yards was in a boil with the diving birds. When the fish are 

 drawn clear from the weeds, the birds surround them, working 

 them inshore, and pen them in as securely as if in a net, until 

 they gorge themselves." In such a case the Cormorants may be 

 really as wastefully destructive of the fish supply as 

 unrestricted netting. 



